Vent plate with weather barrier for an exterior wall

ABSTRACT

A vent plate for an exterior wall of a building includes a plate body that has a first face facing the exterior wall, a second face facing away from the exterior wall, and one or more holes extending between the first face and the second face for receiving piping. One or more seals are positioned about the one or more holes and seal against the outer diameter of the piping received in the holes.

FIELD

This relates to a plate that surrounds one or more pipes in an exterior wall.

BACKGROUND

Vents, such as exhausts or fresh air intakes, through exterior walls of structures are required for certain appliances, such as water heaters, furnaces, etc. Other types of piping may also be installed in exterior walls, such as water line for a hose bib, etc., a gas line for a natural gas barbecue, etc. Once installed, it is necessary to finish the exterior wall around these pipes. As the pipes are round, and the space between multiple pipes may be small, this is generally difficult, particularly when installing vinyl siding.

SUMMARY

There is provided a vent plate for an exterior wall of a building having at least one protruding object. The vent plate comprises a plate body with a first face and a second face. The first face faces the exterior wall and the second face faces away from the exterior wall. One or more holes extend between the first face and the second face for receiving one or more protruding objects. One or more seals are positioned about the one or more holes and seal against the outer diameter of the piping that is received in the holes.

According to another aspect, there may be a vapour resistant barrier that extends outward from the first face of the plate body.

Although the plate body may be any shape, in one aspect the outer perimeter of the plate body may be a rectangular shape. This may be preferred as it facilitates the installation of some siding, such as vinyl siding.

Different types of seals may be used in conjunction with the vent plate, however in one aspect the seals may be made of an elastomeric layer that is secured to the second surface of the plate body. The elastomeric layer preferably has holes that correspond to the holes in the plate body and the holes in the elastomeric layer preferably have an inner diameter that is less than the outer diameter of the piping to seal against the piping.

In one aspect, the vapour resistant barrier may be a flexible sheet of weather resistant material that may be may be secured to the elastomeric layer to provide additional weather protection.

In one aspect, the vapour resistant barrier may be one or more drip guards secured to at least one of an upper edge and a lower edge of the plate body. The vapour resistant barrier may further comprise flanges extending outward from the one or more drip guards.

In one aspect, the protruding object may be piping that extends through the exterior wall. The protruding object may have a rectangular or round cross-section.

According to another aspect, the one or more seal comprises a sheet made from flexible material and a protrusion engaging collar, the protrusion engaging collar extending outward from the sheet and defining a hole. The collar may have a first inner perimeter adjacent to the wall cover portion and a second inner perimeter spaced from the sheet, the first inner perimeter being larger than the outer perimeter of the protruding object and the second inner perimeter being equal to or smaller than the outer perimeter of the protruding object, the collar providing a seal around the outer diameter of the protruding objet when installed. The sheet may further comprise a wall cover portion that extends outward from the first face of the plate body, the wall cover portion acting as a vapour resistant barrier. The sheet may be resilient, and the second inner perimeter is smaller than the outer perimeter of the protrusion, the second inner perimeter providing a resilient seal around the outer diameter of the vent. The wall cover portion may comprise a textured surface may comprises bumps or ridges that permits airflow between the sheet and the exterior wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to be in any way limiting, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vent plate.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vent plate for more than one pipe.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view in section of the vent plate installed on a structure.

FIG. 4 is a front plan view of the vent plate installed on a structure.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative vent plate.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a further alternative vent plate.

FIGS. 7-11 are variations of a seal to be used with the vent plate.

FIG. 12 is an exploded side elevation view of the seals shown in FIGS. 7-11 being installed as part of the vent plate.

FIG. 13 is a side elevation view in section of a variation of the vent plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A vent plate, generally identified by reference numeral 10, will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 13.

The vent plate is primarily designed to surround protruding objects from the exterior wall of the building, such as protruding objects due to penetrations through a wall in a building. The protruding objects may include penetrations or covers, such as air intake and exhaust vents for appliances such as furnaces, boilers, water heaters, etc., other types of vents, such as for dryers, bathroom vents, etc., water or gas lines, electrical boxes, or other utility lines and line covers. Accordingly, while a circular hole is depicted, it will be understood that the hole may be other shapes, such as rectangular, as depicted in FIG. 6.

Referring now to FIG. 3, vent plate 10 is designed to be installed on an exterior wall 12 of a building 14. As can be seen, vent plate 10 includes a plate body 16 with a hole 18 extending through to receive piping 20, or other type of penetration. For convenience, only piping will be discussed below, however it will be understood that other types of penetrations may equally be substituted. Preferably, hole 18 is large enough to accommodate piping 20 passing though at an angle, as either the pipe or the wall may be at not square or at an angle relative to each other. Plate body 16 is preferably a strong plastic material that will resist weather without degrading, and that can be properly worked to form the body. In one embodiment, plate body 16 is manufactured by milling, although other processes may also be used.

Referring to FIG. 1, plate body 16 has a first face 22 that is intended to face the exterior wall 12 of building 14 and a second face 24 facing away from exterior wall 12. Referring to FIG. 2, plate body 16 may be provided with one or more holes 18 extending between first face 22 and second face 24. FIG. 2 shows two holes 18 that have a similar size. It will be understood that vent plate 10 may be designed with any number of holes 18 of similar or different sizes and in any configuration that is preferred by the user, and depending on the intended use. For example, vent plate 10 depicted in FIG. 1 would be suitable for an appliance that only required an exhaust vent, such as a high efficiency water tank, while vent plate 10 depicted in FIG. 2 would be suitable for an appliance that required both a fresh air intake and an exhaust vent, such as a high efficiency furnace.

Referring to FIG. 1, there may be one or more seals 26 positioned about the one or more holes 18 to seal against the outer diameter of piping 20 passing through holes 18. In the embodiment in FIG. 1, the seals 26 are provided by securing an elastomeric layer 28, such as rubber foam, to first face 22 of plate body 16. Referring to FIG. 4, the seal is provided by providing holes in elastomeric layer 28 that are slightly smaller than the outer diameter of piping 20, such that there is a compression-type seal provided. As will be understood, the primary purpose of seals 26 is not to seal between plate body 16 and building 14, but rather to seal around piping 20 and prevent water from entering building 14 through this gap. This reduces the need for caulking to be used between piping 20 and exterior wall 12 as is done in most situations.

It will be understood that seals 26 may take other configurations. For example, rather than an elastomeric layer, a localized round seal 44 (as shown in FIG. 5) may be provided behind or within hole 18. In a further embodiment, the seal may be provided by a thin sheet of resilient material that engages piping 20 as it is installed, such as a plastic sheet that is attached to first face 22 of plate body 16 and that has an inner collar that engages the outer diameter of the pipe and extends into hole 18.

Referring again to FIG. 1, there is also provided a vapour barrier element that extends outward past the outer perimeter of plate body 16. In FIG. 1, the vapour barrier element is a flexible sheet 28 of weather resistant material extending outward from first face 22 of plate body 16. Flexible sheet 28 is preferably a material such as TYVEK® or another product having similar properties that is used to help increase the weather resistance of a building. Preferably, flexible sheet 28 resists moisture, but allows air to pass. In the depicted embodiment, flexible sheet 28 is secured to the back side of elastomeric layer 28. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, flexible sheet 28 (the edges of which are represented by dashed lines 30 in FIG. 4) is intended to overlap with the rest of the sheets 32 of weather resistant material installed on the rest of building 12 (the edges of which are represented by dashed lines 33 in FIG. 4). This facilitates the installation of the weatherproofing material, which would otherwise have to be cut around the piping, which is generally awkward, and may leave gaps in the material. By providing a regularly shaped plate body 16, such as a rectangular body, which includes possible square shapes, the cuts are made easier and with the excess material on sheet 28, gaps in the weatherproofing material are easily avoided.

Referring now to FIG. 5, in an alternative embodiment, the vapour barrier element may be a drip edge 40, which may be attached to first face 22 of plate body 16 or elastomeric layer to positioned above and below plate body 16 as shown, but may also just be placed above plate body 16. Preferably, drip edge 40 is made from plastic and has a flange 42 that extends outward that can be overlapped by the weatherproofing material installed on the building. Other flanges (not shown) may extend outward from the sides of plate body 16 if desired or necessary. While not shown, drip edges 40 may be used in addition to flexible sheets 28. Drip edges 40 may also be profiled to direct the flow of water, as depicted.

Referring now to FIG. 3, during construction, piping 20 will be installed through exterior wall 12. Vent plate 10 is then installed over piping 20 such that seals 26 seal around piping 20 and flexible sheet 28 is adjacent to wall 12. Either before or after this, weatherproofing material 32 is installed on exterior wall 12, and overlaps with flexible sheet 28. Flexible sheet 28 is shown as being below weatherproofing material 32, however it will be understood that the overlap may be provided in any manner consistent with construction practices. Referring to FIG. 4, vent plate 10 is preferably held in place by screws through screw holes 34. In FIG. 4, exterior wall 12 has been finished with vinyl siding 38. By providing a rectangular plate body 16, j-trim 36, which is commonly used to finish around doors and windows, may be used around vent plate 10, and vinyl siding 38 may be cut to fit around it. Previously, vinyl siding 38 would be cut to fit around piping 20, and an attempt would be made to caulk around the hole to seal siding 38 to piping 20. This is less effective, as siding 38 is not fixed, and movement caused by wind, people brushing against the home, etc. will eventually cause this seal to break. As can be seen, vent plate 10 simplifies installation, ensures a proper seal around piping 20, maintains the integrity of the weatherproofing of the building, and improves the aesthetic appearance of exterior wall 12.

Referring to FIG. 7, seal 26 may also be a resilient seal 100 made from a sheet 116 of flexible material. Sheet 116 has a wall cover portion 118 and a protrusion engaging collar 120. As depicted in FIGS. 12 and 13, wall cover portion 118 has a planar surface that is preferably large enough to easily overlap with the weatherproofing material installed on exterior wall 14, such as Tyvek™. Sheet 116 may be made from a resilient material and may also be made from an air-tight material. As many building codes require all weatherproofing materials to allow some air flow, it may be necessary to provide wall cover portion 18 with a contoured surface, such as ridges 121 as shown in FIG. 9 or bumps 122 as shown in FIG. 8. Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, ridges 121 or bumps 122 may be on the front side or back side of wall cover portion 118, and may be continuous or discrete. If on the front side, preferably they will form air flow conduits on the back side that will be against exterior wall 12. Sheet 116 may also be flat as shown in FIG. 7, which is preferable when seal 100 is made of a weatherproofing material that is not airtight. Seal 100 may also be reversible by being turned inside out, such that the position of the ridges or bumps may be changed.

Referring to FIG. 10, protrusion engaging collar 120 extends outward from wall cover portion 118 and defines a hole 124. Referring to FIGS. 7 and 9, collar 120 has a first inner perimeter 126 that is adjacent to wall cover portion 118 and a second inner perimeter 128 spaced from wall cover portion 118. First inner perimeter 126 is larger than the outer perimeter 130 of protrusion 20, while second inner perimeter 128 is equal to or smaller than outer perimeter 130 of protrusion 20. By providing a first inner perimeter 126 that is larger than outer perimeter 130 of protrusion 20, it provides a guide and a start to insert protrusion 20 into collar 120. Collar 120 provides a seal around the outer diameter of protrusion 20 when installed. As shown, protrusion 20 is piping that passes through a hole 133 in exterior wall 14 that has an outer diameter that is less than an inner diameter of hole 133.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, collar 120 may take different shapes. Preferably, the outside of collar 120 has a curved section 36 immediately adjacent to first inner perimeter 126. This may help redirect moisture away from protrusion 20 and assist in it draining away. FIG. 11 shows a collar 120 that tapers gradually and continually between first inner perimeter 126 and second inner perimeter 128. In FIG. 10, second inner perimeter 128 is a lip 138 that extends inward from a straight portion 140 that extends between first and second collar perimeters 126 and 128. As will be recognized by those in the art, collar 120 may take other shapes other than round, such as rectangular (where rectangular also includes squares). In addition, the design of collar 120 between first and second inner perimeter 126 and 128 on either the inside or outside of collar 120, may vary depending on the preferences of the user.

If sheet 116 is made from a resilient material, second inner perimeter 128 is preferably smaller than outer diameter 130. If sheet 116 is designed to provide a resilient seal, it will preferably be made from a resilient material that retains its elasticity, such as a cross-linked plastic or rubber. Other materials may stretch, or “creep” over time, reducing the seal.

Alternatively, a seal may be made or maintained using another element, such as a pressure member or a sealant (not shown). The pressure member may be an elastic band or other band fastener placed around collar 120 and tightened to induce a seal, while the sealant may be a strip adhesive, caulking, or other applied adhesive. This may be applied on the inside of collar 120 as it is installed over piping, or it may also be applied to the second inner perimeter 128 of collar 120 once installed.

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, plate body 16 is installed over seal 100. Seal 100 may be secured to plate body 16 prior to it being installed over piping 20, or plate body 16 may be placed over seal 100 once seal 100 has been installed. As discussed above, plate body 16 is preferably secured in place using screws, which will also ensure seal 100 is secured properly.

Referring to FIG. 13, seal 100 may be formed with appendages that prevent water from entering behind plate body 16 once plate 10 is installed, similar to the embodiments shown in FIG. 5, rather than permitting the water to flow behind plate 16.

In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements.

The following claims are to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, and what can be obviously substituted. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A vent plate for an exterior wall of a building having a protruding object, comprising: a plate body having a first face facing the exterior wall, a second face facing away from the exterior wall, and one or more holes extending between the first face and the second face for receiving at least one protruding object; and one or more seals positioned about the one or more holes, the one or more seals sealing against the outer diameter of the piping received in the holes.
 2. The vent plate of claim 1, further comprising a vapour resistant barrier extending outward from the first face of the plate body.
 3. The vent plate of claim 1, wherein the plate body outer perimeter is rectangular.
 4. The vent plate of claim 1, wherein the one or more seals comprise an elastomeric layer secured to the second surface of the plate body, the elastomeric layer having holes corresponding to the holes in the plate body, the holes having an inner diameter that is less than the outer diameter of the piping to seal against the piping.
 5. The vent plate of claim 2, wherein the vapour resistant barrier is a flexible sheet of weather resistant material.
 6. The vent plate of claim 2, wherein the vapour resistant barrier is a flexible sheet of weather resistant material secured to the elastomeric layer.
 7. The vent plate of claim 2, wherein the vapour resistant barrier is one or more drip guards secured to at least one of an upper edge and a lower edge of the plate body.
 8. The vent plate of claim 7, further comprising flanges extending outward from the one or more drip guards.
 9. The vent plate of claim 1, wherein the protruding object is piping extending through the exterior wall.
 10. The vent plate of claim 1, wherein the protruding object has a rectangular or round cross-section.
 11. The vent plate of claim 1, wherein the one or more seals comprise a sheet made from flexible material and a protrusion engaging collar, the protrusion engaging collar extending outward from the sheet and defining a hole.
 12. The vent plate of claim 11, wherein the collar has a first inner perimeter adjacent to the wall cover portion and a second inner perimeter spaced from the sheet, the first inner perimeter being larger than the outer perimeter of the protruding object and the second inner perimeter being equal to or smaller than the outer perimeter of the protruding object, the collar providing a seal around the outer diameter of the protruding objet when installed.
 13. The vent plate of claim 12, wherein the sheet is resilient, and the second inner perimeter is smaller than the outer perimeter of the protrusion, the second inner perimeter providing a resilient seal around the outer diameter of the vent.
 14. The vent plate of claim 11, wherein the sheet further comprises a wall cover portion that extends outward from the first face of the plate body, the wall cover portion acting as a vapour resistant barrier.
 15. The vent plate of claim 14, wherein the wall cover portion comprises a textured surface that permits airflow between the sheet and the exterior wall.
 16. The vent plate of claim 15, wherein the textured surface comprises bumps.
 17. The vent plate of claim 15, wherein the textured surface comprises ridges. 